Abstract: NWTN is a Chicago startup that specializes in wearable concussion detection sensors (the Intel Curie) for non-professional athletes. The project was initially created as part of the TV show America's Greatest Makers, where it placed as a finalist. After a year and a half of research and testing, NWTN pivoted to focus more closely on soccer. To succeed and generate funds they needed new UX research and a prototype that fit the on-boarding for their new use cases, updated pairing technology, and a more thorough medical assessment.

Challenge:

In order to give NWTN a competitive edge, their product needed to collect data from one wearer and shared it with multiple user archetypes for different purposes. How could NWTN create a streamlined on-boarding and pairing process for users and address integration of the Pocket SCAT that includes useful features optimized for field use?

Solution: Our team created an app that efficiently delivers information to a range of use cases about a single athlete or multiple players with minimal set up.

User Research

Research:

Domain research, interviews, SME interviews, adjacent market research

Our research determined:

What current user behaviors and attitudes were present toward electronic concussion detection by coaches and athletic trainers.

Analysis of the routines and habits of coaches versus athletic trainers and how to overlap information between two user groups.

The opportunities for NWTN to increase market share amongst competitors by offering subscription features and multiple user groups.

A market gap in digital medical assessments

Domain Research:

With NWTN we were fortunate to have a large amount of in-depth desk research available from the previous team and a multitude of articles about concussions in young athletes as a burgeoning problem in brain development. All states have passed some form of concussion legislation which requires a professional evaluation and signoff after a child is suspected of an injury.

The trouble is more than 90% of sports related concussions occur without loss of consciousness and 40% of athletes are returning to the field before the recommended guidelines suggest. In addition, athletes with concussions are 3-6x more likely to develop additional concussion after first instance in increasing severity.

NWTN wasn’t the only product on the market; currently there were 6 other competitors, some even using the same technology. We wanted to find what NWTN could offer that other’s couldn’t.